At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data engineering strategy and drive transformation to modern cloud platforms.
- Company: Join Allianz UK, a leader in insurance with a commitment to innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive salary, and discounts on insurance products.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace with support for neurodiversity and flexible work arrangements.
- Why this job: Shape the future of data engineering and make a real impact across the organisation.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership in data engineering and experience with cloud platforms required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Allianz UK is seeking a Head of Data Engineering to play a pivotal role in shaping how data platforms and engineering capabilities enable decision‑making across the organisation. You will lead and evolve Allianz’s Data Engineering capability, driving large‑scale transformation to modern, cloud‑first platforms while delivering high‑quality, business‑critical data solutions. This is a strategic leadership role with significant influence across our UK business and data strategy.
Location
This role can be based in London, Guildford or Bournemouth, with an expectation to attend the office 50% of the time.
Salary Information
Pay is based on experience, skills and location and forms part of a competitive total rewards package.
About You
- You will define and lead the data engineering strategy, aligned to enterprise data, digital and AI ambitions.
- You will drive the migration from legacy platforms (e.g. SAS, Oracle) to modern cloud‑based environments such as Databricks.
- You will build, inspire and lead multi‑disciplinary engineering teams across multiple locations.
- You will embed agile ways of working, creating outcome‑focused, high‑performing squads.
- You will foster a culture of ownership, accountability, transparency and continuous improvement.
- You will partner with senior stakeholders to shape priorities and deliver business value through data.
- You will establish delivery frameworks including OKRs, metrics and data SLAs to drive performance and visibility.
- You will ensure engineering excellence through adoption of modern practices such as DataOps, CI/CD and automation.
Essential Skills
- Strong leadership experience within data engineering, including large‑scale transformation programmes.
- Deep expertise in cloud data platforms, lakehouse architectures, and modern data engineering practices.
- Proven ability to lead and scale engineering teams across multiple locations and disciplines.
- Experience embedding agile methodologies and product‑centric delivery models.
- Experience migrating from legacy technologies to modern cloud‑native platforms.
- Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence at senior/executive level.
- Knowledge of data governance, security, and regulatory requirements within a regulated environment.
- Excellent communication skills, able to translate technical concepts into business value.
Desirable Skills
- Experience within insurance or regulated financial services environments.
- Familiarity with Databricks and AI‑augmented engineering tooling (e.g. Copilot, LLMs).
- Exposure to regulatory frameworks such as Solvency II or IFRS 17.
- Responsible Artificial Intelligence usage.
What We Will Offer You
- Flexible buy/sell holiday options.
- Hybrid working.
- Annual performance related bonus.
- Contributory pension scheme.
- Development days.
- A discount up to 50% on a range of insurance products including car, home and pet.
- Retail discounts.
- Volunteering days.
Our Ways of Working
Do you need flexibility with the hours you work? Let us know as part of your application and if it’s right for our customers, our business and for you, then we’ll do everything we can to make it happen. Here at Allianz, we are signatories of the ABIs flexible working charter. We believe in supporting hybrid work patterns, which balance the needs of our customers, with your personal circumstances and our business requirements. Our aim with this is to help innovation, creativity, and you to thrive - Your work life balance is important to us.
Integrity, Fairness, Inclusion & Trust
At Allianz, we believe in fostering an inclusive workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our commitment to equal opportunities, gender equity, and balanced gender representation is demonstrated by our numerous accreditations: EDGE certified for gender inclusion, Women in Finance Charter members, Disability Confident employer, Stonewall Diversity Champion, Business in the Community’s Race at Work Charter signatories, and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard employer. We embrace neurodiversity and welcome applications from neurodivergent and disabled candidates, offering tailored adjustments to ensure your success. We encourage our employees to advocate for their needs, whether it’s assistive technology, ergonomic equipment, mentoring, coaching, or flexible work arrangements.
Accessible Application for All
As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we support candidates with disabilities or long‑term health conditions through the Offer an Interview Scheme, for those meeting the essential skills for the role. Contact our Resourcing team to opt into this scheme or for assistance with your application, including larger text, hard copies, or spoken applications.
Head of Data Engineering in Surrey employer: Allianz
Allianz UK is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth, offering a flexible hybrid working model and a competitive rewards package. With a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, employees are encouraged to thrive in a supportive environment that fosters innovation and creativity. The Head of Data Engineering role provides a unique opportunity to lead transformative projects while collaborating with talented teams across vibrant locations like London, Guildford, and Bournemouth.
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Data Engineering in Surrey
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!
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✨Brush Up on Your Statistics
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✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to encounter real-world case studies during the interview. We might be asked how we’d approach a data problem or analyse a dataset to extract insights. It's essential to think out loud and demonstrate our problem-solving process so that the interviewer can see our logical thinking in action.
